Hey people. I'm planning on buying a second hand 2010/2011 Mazda 2 from a proper dealer in the near future. Its to replace my dying 2007 1L Vauxhall corsa (new shape) as the engine has basically blown.

I can't afford to go through private sales, I need to rely on monthly repayments, which is why I am targeting dealerships. Plus I need to trade my current car in, as it still has finance owed on it, which I can't afford to pay off yet.

ok, so i've just had another quick ganders on autotrader... just limiting on £6k-£7k, there are a fair few latest shape Polos on there typically at independent dealers, so that's all good.

I started looking at the polos because the angular shape makes it look much less of a 'girls car' while still being tiny... there's a couple o nthere, although they do seem to be like in scotland etc, but then again i don't know your location

others i noticed were the old shape vauxall astra.. defo not girly, it was from a dealer though might be an idea.

as for the original question. Honestly, it could be considered a bit feminine, but i guess you have to compromise somewhere... i'd say go take a look at it, take a friend and decide with them if the image of the car matters that much to you.

I don't really like polos, i think theyre too boring looking. However they are better for fuel. I do a 30 mile round trip per day for work, and there's a lot of stop start due to lights and roundabouts.

Wow, you still haven't decided... I remember a similar thread here about dumping the Corsa and going to a Mazda... Anyway, here are some thoughts:

1. How the hell does a 2007 car get the engine blown?
2. Then again, it's a Vauxhall, so not really surprising. (we call them Opel here, but they're the same, well, how do I put this without getting swear-filtered... yeah, you get the idea...)
3. I drive a 2008 Mazda2, so far I've done 85000km on it (that's almost 53000 miles) so how's the reliability? Well, when I bought it, I was expecting something good, but certainly not *that* good! 53000 miles later I am very happy to have chosen it.
4. Is it a girl's car? Demographics are probably 50/50 here. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, it really depends who you ask. The question for me is:
a. Would I make my decision on a car based on such a perception (OK, I wouldn't buy a pink car, but you get my point)
b. As a driver who appreciated a good handling car, would I sacrifice that for a lousy handling macho car?

Wow, you still haven't decided... I remember a similar thread here about dumping the Corsa and going to a Mazda... Anyway, here are some thoughts:

1. How the hell does a 2007 car get the engine blown?2. Then again, it's a Vauxhall, so not really surprising. (we call them Opel here, but they're the same, well, how do I put this without getting swear-filtered... yeah, you get the idea...)3. I drive a 2008 Mazda2, so far I've done 85000km on it (that's almost 53000 miles) so how's the reliability? Well, when I bought it, I was expecting something good, but certainly not *that* good! 53000 miles later I am very happy to have chosen it.4. Is it a girl's car? Demographics are probably 50/50 here. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, it really depends who you ask. The question for me is:a. Would I make my decision on a car based on such a perception (OK, I wouldn't buy a pink car, but you get my point)b. As a driver who appreciated a good handling car, would I sacrifice that for a lousy handling macho car?

Thanks very much for your reply. I couldn't remember if I'd made a thread previously, i thought i hadn't.

The 1L Corsa 2007 has a plastic screw connecting the coolant overflow tank to the engine block. That screw snapped while at high speeds and it caused the coolant to escape and the engine to overheat. Which in turn blew the headgasket and piston rings and filled the valves with water.

As for your Mazda 2...what is it like at high speeds? I've heard they are loud due to high wind noise.

I was looking for a used subcompact recently and read lots of reviews about these cars. The Mazda2 and Ford Fiesta, which are extremely similar, have excellent handling characteristics, however the rear seat space is quite limited. As I was personally more concerned with comfortably lodging several passengers and luggage, I went for the Nissan Versa instead of the Mazda2 or Ford Fiesta; it was simply more affordable as well. I'm using it since then for my daily commute (~20km in heavy traffic) and I'm extremely happy with it. It's silent and comfortable (as much as you can expect from such a small car) up to 120km, and I was able to get a model with CVT transmission, tinted windows, 6 cd charger, ABS brakes, heated mirrors and all those high-end options for a base price of 8800$CAD (2008).

I don't really know how to answer this. Truth is I haven't seen "high speeds" from Corsas. When I give mine the beans, it is a little loud, but...
a. I don't really notice as usually there's music on
b. It doesn't bother me, as it's got a nice pitch

Also, keep in mind that a lot comes down to tires...

To sum up, it's not annoying. Of course it's not as quiet as our other cars (Skoda Octavia, Volvo S40). Maybe you can find in-car high speed videos on youtube?

Oh and to answer part of the question, you feel "safe" up to 160km/h (about 100mph). Above that speed it starts to feel too light and too bouncy. And yes, it *can* go even faster